Bol-loops of order

Daniel Wagner

3 2n

Stefan Wopperer

Mar h 1, 2007

Abstra t
In this arti le we onstru t proper Bol-loops of order 3 2n using a
generalisation of the semidire t produ t of groups dened by Birkenmeier
and Xiao. Moreover we lassify the obtained loops up to isomorphism.

Introdu tion
Burn proofs in [3 that the smallest proper Bol-loops are of order 8. But they an
not be onstru ted as a semidire t produ t dened in [1. The smallest proper
Bol-loops whi h an be onstru ted using a semidire t produ t as dened in
this arti le have order 12. Up to isomorphism these loops an be realised as
semidire t produ t of the y li group of order 3 and the elementary abelian
groups of order 4. There are no proper Bol-loops of order 9, 10 or 11. It seems
that order 12 plays an interesting role in the theory of loops sin e the smallest
proper Moufang-loop has also order 12 ( f. [5).
A loop is a set L with a binary operation , a neutral element 1 and unique
solutions of the equations x a = b and a x = b. The loop L is a left Bol-loop if
((x y)z)y = x((y z)y) for all x, y, z L holds. Analogously one denes a right
Bol-loop by the identity x(y(x z)) = (x(y x))z .
In this paper we onsider a spe ial ase of the semidire t produ t of loops
dened by Birkenmeier and Xiao in [2. Starting with groups N and Q we
obtain a loop L on N Q = {(a, p): a N, p Q}. The multipli ation
of L is dened as (a, p) (b, q) = (a(q) b(p) , p q), where and are the
multipli ations of N and Q. The mapping (p) respe tively (p) from N into N
is determined by a mapping respe tively from Q into the set of mappings
from N into N . A ording to [2 we know that (L, ) is a loop with neutral
element (1, 1) if (p) and (p) are bije tive, 1(p) = 1(p) = 1 holds for all
p Q and (1) = (1) = idN . The onstru ted loops are asso iative if and
only if the mappings , , (p) and (p) are homomorphisms and (p) and
(q) ommute for all p, q Q.
Although the semidire t produ t treated by us here is a spe ial ase of the
semidire t produ ts dened in [1, [2 and [9 the onstru tion presented here
yields in general loops with no further identities. For example the 15 nonasso iative loops L = C3 C3 of order 9, whi h are the smallest possible examples, are not even power asso iative and only three of them are ommutative.

Bol-loops of order

3 2n

We now onstru t loops of the form L = C3 (C2 )n . These loops are all
power-asso iative and under ertain onditions Bol-loops.
The only two mappings of C3 into C3 whi h are one-to-one and keep
the neutral element 1 xed, are the identity and the inversion. Both mappings
are automorphisms of C3 and ommute with ea h other.

Remark 1.

Lemma 1. All loops

L = C3 (C2 )n

are power-asso iative.

Proof: The restri tion of and to a subloop whi h is generated by a single

element is a homomorphism. Therefore L is power-asso iative by the pre eeding
Remark.

L = C3 (C2 )n is a left
is a homomorphism.

Proposition 1. A semidire t produ t

Bol-loop if and only if

Proof:

respe tively

respe tively right

Be ause of Remark 1 the left Bol-identity yields:


(q) (p)

(r) (p)
(pr)
(qpr)
, pqpr)
a
c
b
(a

(1)


(p) (r)

c(pqp) , pqpr)
= ( a(qp) b(p) a(q)

If L is a left Bol-loop equation (1) implies for a = c = 1 that is a homomorphism.

If is a homomorphism we obtain for the rst omponent of (1):
(r) (p)
(p) 
(r) 

(p)
(pr)
(qp)
(qpr)
b
b
= a
a
(2)

whi h is valid for all a, b C3 and all p, q, r (C2 )n . Therefore L is a left

Bol-loop.
The proof for right Bol-loops is analogous.
To lassify the onstru ted loops up to isomorphism we now determine the
order of the non-trivial elements in the loops.
Lemma 2. Let
Then the order

L = C3 (C2 )n be a loop, a C3 \ {1} and p (C2 )n \ {1}.

of (a, p) is 2 if and only if (p) 6= (p) and 6 if and only if

(p) = (p).

If (p) 6= (p) then (a, p)(a, p) = (1, 1) holds be ause of (p), (p)
{id, inv}. If (p) = (p) then the rst omponent of (a, p)n is a power of a or
a1 . The se ond omponent alternates between 1 and p. Therefore the order of
(a, p) is the least ommon multiple of 2 and 3.
Conversely if (a, p)(a, p) = (1, 1) then (p) 6= (p) be ause of (p), (p)
{id, inv}. Assume the order of (a, p) to be 6 and (p) 6= (p). This is a
ontradi tion to the rst part of the proof.
Proof:

Proposition 2

(C3 (C2 )2 ).

Two proper loops of the form

C3 (C2 )2

are

isomorphi if and only if both loops have the same number of elements with
order 6. A loop

L = C3 (C2 )2

is a Bol-loop if and only if it has exa tly zero

or two elements of order 6.

Lemma 2 implies that a loop is a Bol-loop if and only if it has exa tly
zero or two elements of order 6.
Let L1 and L2 be loops with the same number of elements with order 6.
Then it an be shown that
(
(a, p) 7 (a, p)
if 1 (p) = 2 (p)
:
1
if 1 (p) 6= 2 (p)
(a, p) 7 (a , p)
Proof:

is an isomorphism between L1 and L2 . The elements (a, p) with order 6 are

assumed to have the same se ond omponent p (C2 )2 be ause loops an be
transferred in this form by obvious (anti-)isomorphisms. By Lemma 2 this
implies that 1 (p) = 1 (p) is equivalent to 2 (p) = 2 (p).
Only the rst omponent has to be analysed to he k if is an isomorphism.
The validity of the equation
pq (a1 (q) b1 (p) ) = (p (a))

2 (q)

(q (b))

2 (p)

(3)

is shown by ase analysis.

Sin e 1 (p) in L1 an be dierent from 2 (p) in L2 there are four ases.
The mapping is not onsidered in the following be ause it is determined by
the order of the elements and the hoi e of .
First the ases where 1 (p) and 2 (p) are unequal for all p or equal for
exa tly two elements p, q V4 : These loops an be trivially antiisomorphi by
symmetry of and . Otherwise they are not (anti-)isomorphi be ause out
of every other pair of loops, whi h satises the pre onditions, one and only one
loop is a Bol-loop. Therefore in this ases it is not ne essary to prove the validity
of equation (3).
If there is exa tly one element r V4 for whi h 1 (r) = 2 (r), then there are
three possibilities, namely 1 (pq) = 2 (pq), 1 (p) = 2 (p) or 1 (q) = 2 (q).
In all three ases equation (3) holds for all ombinations of 1 (q), 1 (p), 2 (q),
2 (p) {id, inv}.
In the last ase, whi h is 1 (p) = 2 (p), 1 (q) = 2 (q) and 1 (pq) = 2 (pq),
the validity of equation (3) is obvious.
Corollary 1. There are 32 Bol-loops of the form

C3 (C2 )2

whi h are dis-

tributed in two lasses of isomorphism.

Theorem 1

(C3 (C2 )n ).

Two proper Bol-loops of the form

C3 (C2 )n

are

isomorphi if and only if they have the same number of elements with order 6.

If L1 and L2 are proper Bol-loops of the form C3 (C2 )n then or is

a homomorphism by Proposition 1. Without loss of gererality we assume both
loops to be left Bol-loops. If the loops have the same number of elements with
order 6 then the mapping as in the proof of Proposition 2 an be shown to be
an isomorphism from L1 onto L2 : Any two elements a
= (a, p) and b = (b, q) of
n
n
C3 (C2 ) generate a subloop of C3 (C2 ) isomorphi to C3 (C2 )2 . Therefore
is an isomorphism by the proof of Proposition 2.
Proof:

n 3 the proper Bol-loops

2 1 lasses of isomorphism.

Corollary 2. For
distributed in

of the form

C3 (C2 )n

are

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